Information on Male and Female Differences in Parakeets

So you've been waiting a long time for your parakeets Mary and Larry to mate and start a budgie family when you begin to wonder if Larry might be a Laura. Whether you're trying to mate your budgies, or are simply curious, the differences between males and females mostly fall upon appearance, such as the cere color, and sometimes behavior, though behavioral differences are not scientifically proven. Whether male or female, parakeets or budgerigars make entertaining pets. Budgies love to sing, fly, and may even grow attached to you and desire to be around you all the time.

  1. All in the Beak

    • One of the biggest differences in male and female parakeets is the color of their cere. The cere is a band just above the beak, where the nostrils are located. This band will be a different color depending on the sex of the parakeet. If male, the cere will be a pinkish blue, or a pronounced blue color. If female, the cere will range from pinkish brown to dark brown in color. With young birds, it is hard to tell what the gender is, as both ceres will seem a light pink color.

    Behavior Differences

    • While not scientifically proven, some studies have noticed that male parakeets will be more prone to head bobbing and singing and will be generally more affectionate, or needy, that a female. Female parakeets will be bossy, or squawk and peck more than males and will be less likely to carry on singing, though these generalizations do not always apply.

    In the Looks

    • With many avian species such as robins and peacocks, color is a large indicator in sexing the bird, with the males usually having vibrant colors and the females being more toned down. Unfortunately for budgies, their breeding has made this argument null and void due to fancy budgies, which have been bread to look a certain way and usually hold mixed, if not tropical looking colors.

    Talking Budgies

    • Parakeets can learn to say phrases, and while you can't tell the difference in sex by their voices, some say that male budgies have an easier time speaking than females. The reason for this is thought to be because males are well practiced in using their voices to court females.